Dr. Ken Cardillo is Professor of Music & Humanities, and Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Chattanooga State. He earned a Master’s degree in classical guitar performance at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, under the direction of the celebrated Cuban guitarist and composer, Mario Abril. His other teachers include Gerard DeMatteo and Stephen Robinson. In 2008 he earned the PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities, with distinction, from the Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences and School of Music, where his research centered on music theory, semiotic analysis, and aesthetics. In addition to teaching music theory, guitar, and humanities at Chattanooga State, Dr. Cardillo serves on the board of GuitarChattanooga, has published articles on music and guitar, and regularly performs chamber music programs throughout the southeastern region. He has been a featured guitar soloist with the Chattanooga Symphony Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of Tennessee, performing works by Vivaldi, Boccherini and Villa-Lobos.